Given Up
by Phoenix-Fire Power
Summary: Before they were Russia and Belarus, they were Ivan and Natalia. Before they were siblings, they were husband and wife. Nations born as humans story.


**A/N: ****hey people!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing.**

He had been riding by, only seeing the others in his new town when he had saw her.

She had been kneeling in the gardens tending to the flowers and the weeds and dirt that lay there. He stopped his horse a few feet away to properly look at her.

She had glanced upwards when she sensed someone was looking at her. She gave a short glance at him standing there and immediately turned her head back to the garden in front of her.

Good. That was good that she wouldn't meet his eyes. A good and virtuous girl didn't meet the eyes of any man unless there was a blood relation or a marriage between them.

Ivan slid off of his horse and started towards her. When she realized that he was behind her she turned slightly so that he knew he had her attention however she remained kneeling and her head bowed.

"Is your father home?" Ivan asked.

The girl nodded, never lifting her head.

"What should I do with my horse?" he asked her.

Wordlessly and head still bowed she stood and slightly held out her hand. Her hair was in a proper braid however the blonde strands still shone in the sunlight. Ivan felt a spark through his gloves as she gently took the horses reins and started towards the back of the house.

Ivan watched her go before he walked up to the door and knocked.

Almost immediately, as if he had been watching the entire time, the door was opened to reveal her father.

Ivan smiled. "Mr. Arlovskaya. I would like to talk to you about your daughter."

The man smiled back as he took a step backwards and allowed Ivan to enter his home. "I would be more than happy to."

The man called out to his wife to prepare drinks. However instead of the wife it was the daughter that brought in the tray of glasses. She kept her head bowed as she offered the tray to Ivan first. Ivan smiled as he accepted the glass. She then offered to her father.

"Stay here Natalia." her father commanded.

Natalia curtsied slightly as she sat on the seat next to her father. She crossed her legs at the ankle and folded her hands on top of her lap, carefully keeping her eyes on the ground.

"I have heard many great things of you Ivan Braginsky." Natalias father said. "You own the newest connection of the stores in the town. You are a wealthy man and a frequent church goer. Foremost you are a provider. How is it that I may help you?"

Ivan smiled. "Your words make me blush good sir. It is true that I have more wealth than I know what do with and all that however there is something great missing in my life. I am in need of a wife and from there a son."

The other nodded and gave a smirk. "And how may I help you with that?"

"I wish for your daughters hand in marriage."

"Natalia?" he asked. "She has many suitors, one better than the last. She is my only daughter, my only child. Why on earth should I give her to you?"

"You said so yourself." Ivan said leaning back in his seat and sipping from his glass. "I am a provider. I shall provide you daughter a house that I know she will turn into a home. I will provide your daughter the means to children that she will make the perfect children in this world. Your daughter will never starve. She will never know hunger nor cold. She will never know what it feels like to be lower than what my wife deserves to be."

The mans smirk widened. "I shall hope that you keep to your word Ivan Braginsky. Very well, I give you the permission to marry my daughter."

"Natalia." Ivan said. Natalia lifted her head however she didn't raise her eyes. "Natalia, look at me."

She seemed to be hesitant; good, the signs of a true virtuous wife, however moments later she lifted her eyes to his.

Violet eyes met clear blue eyes and Ivan knew what it was to fall in love.

* * *

><p>A year after they were married. Ivan continued to spread his influence, his stores, his everything through this town and the towns neighboring them.<p>

Natalia was smiling that night as she served the both of them dinner.

"What makes you so happy?" Ivan had to ask.

Her smile widened. "Ivan. I am pregnant."

His eyes widened as he stood and took the few steps towards her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "The signs are all there. I have seen my mother and her friends and they all confirm it. I am pregnant Ivan, we are going to have a child."

Ivan let out a jubilant yell as he embraced his wife. "Finally." he sighed.

It only seemed months later. They were in the medical building with Natalia and her mother sobbing in the room together.

"The baby was born dead." the doctor said. "It would have been a boy."

* * *

><p>Natalia was whimpering as she pressed her hands on Ivans wound. The blood continued to flow through her fingers staining her clothes and the ground.<p>

"Help." she whimpered. In the first time in her life she yelled. "Help!"

She looked around. Everything around them, the buildings that were on fire, the now empty grounds, the smell of smoke and death everywhere, it showed that they were alone.

"Help!" Natalia screamed. Underneath her hands Ivan gave a choking sound which resulted in blood being coughed up from his mouth.

"Ivan please stay with me." Natalia whispered. "Please don't leave me."

The winds began to pick up. Natalia paid no attention to the weather as she ripped her scarf and placed it over the wound.

"Please stay with me." she whispered.

"Placing those pieces of cloth on him won't help." a new female voice said.

Natalia whirled around, her eyes widened at the sight of the woman in front of her. The way she presented herself. The way the flames and the land itself seemed to bow to her. It could only mean one thing.

"Angel of death." Natalia whispered. She spread her arms in order to cover Ivan. "Angel of death you are not taking him. I will not give him to you."

The angel raised a single eyebrow at her in slight amusement. "I am simply curious. How would you stop me if I was here to take him away."

"I would fight." Natalia said her voice wavering slightly. "I would."

"I have no doubt that you would, even though you don't know how." The angel said. "However I am not here to take him anywhere. I am here to give the both of you a choice."

"What choice?" Natalia asked cautiously. She turned her attention back to her husband and resumed her position of pressing the wound back once more.

She gave a gasp when the angel was suddenly behind her so that her breathe brushed against Natalias neck.

"That's now the way to do it." The angel murmured. Her hands covered Natalias and pressed harder and in the middle of the wound.

"My choices is this." The angel continued, her breathe still brushing against Natalias neck. "I am in need of two young and wonderful children of mine to take a place for me. The land that we are on now and a land to the west. I need two to become the holders and keepers of that land. However since I am giving to someone who is near death something is needed in return."

"And what is that something?" Natalia asked, keeping her eyes firmly on the wound.

"I will take from your husband memories. It will be as if he were reborn and the position that he will be in, it will be as if he had been there his entire life." The angel said. "He will remember you, however not as his wife. This land and the land to the west, the holders are siblings. He will think of you as his sister only."

Natalia turned to the angel, almost startled to see that the shade of her eyes were the same as Ivans. "I will make sure he will remember, he will."

The angel smiled slightly. "I sincerely doubt that. Do we have a deal?"

Natalia nodded. "Deal."

"Good." The angel said. She retracted her hands and pulled off her gloves. "There is one more, an older sister you might say, that will take care of you and explain everything."

"What is your name Angel?" Natalia asked.

The angel gently touched Natalia in the middle of her forehead with a single finger. Immediately she felt ice travel throughout her entire body, through her veins, through her soul and she gasped as she started to fall to the ground.

"I am not an angel. My name is Kieven Rus." the woman said. "Good luck dear Belarus."

* * *

><p>The next thing Natalia knew was that she was embraced in warmth. Blankets were wrapped around her tightly and she could feel a fire going on throughout the room.<p>

She could feel a gentle and soft hand being pressed against her face, the feel of it brought back memories of her mother.

"Are you awake?" a gentle and kind voice asked.

Natalia slowly opened her eyes. As her vision cleared she could see a woman slightly older than her staring at her with concern in her eyes. Her long hair wasn't braided and left to fall upon her back and she wore a cloak even though they were inside and there was a fire burning.

However something else she realized was that regardless of the blankets and the fire Natalia could feel the ice and the cold that was waiting outside. The shivering of people freezing in their bodies and homes as they hadn't been able to collect enough firewood or afford their clothes.

Her entire body gave a groan as she sat up and looked around the room.

"Where is my husband?" she asked.

"The man? He is in a separate room. I thought that it might be better if you guys were separated for a few minutes." the woman said. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

Natalia shook her head. "I want to see my husband."

"He awoke some time ago." the woman said. "He left to explore the area and he'll be back soon."

"Who are you?"

"My name was Ekaterina." the woman, Ekaterina, said. "However my new name is Ukraine. What was your name Belarus?"

"My name is Natalia, not Belarus." Natalia said.

Ekaterina shook her head. "Not anymore. We are personifications and therefore we need to discard our old lives as humans."

"Personifications?"

Ekaterina nodded. "We are the personifications of the land itself. A symbol and a being of the land. As I said I am the symbol of Ukraine. You are now the symbol of Belarus as our brother is the symbol of Russia."

"Brother?" Natalia whispered, the feeling of dread slowly making its way through her.

"Russia. The man that you came with." Ekaterina said. She sat on the bed next to Natalia. "The three of us are siblings now."

Natalia shook her head. "He is my husband. Not my brother."

Ekaterina smiled sadly.

The door opened suddenly and the two women looked towards the doorway. Ivan stood there smiling at them. He glanced at Natalia with concern in his eyes.

His next words however sent despair through her. "Sister. Are you alright?"

* * *

><p>Natalia gave an almost lazy glance towards Ivan and she smiled to herself. The years hadn't been the most kindest to him however it didn't change him in any way. He was still the handsome, wonderful, and loving man she had fallen in love with years ago.<p>

She allowed a smile to appear on her face as she watched Ivan talk with the others. She watched his violet eyes light up and…

She felt her stomach drop and the smile nearly wiped clean from her face.

His eyes. They were watching the bastard China. And…and...

Natalia almost choked when she recognized the emotions going through them. Devotion. Love. Care. Desire.

Her hand curled into a fist so tight that her nails dug into the skin. Her entire body was trembling and her breaths were coming out in short bursts.

He had looked at her like that. With those same emotions in his eyes. Standing across from her as they stood in front of a priest and recited their vows.

Those same emotions.

She felt a part of her crack and fall. Suddenly her entire body calmed and her fist relaxed its grip, even though her mind was a storm.

"Brother." she snarled under her breath. "You can only look at me with those eyes. Only me."

A hand touched her arm gently and voice filled with concern asked her "Sister? Are you alright?"

Natalia glanced to where Ekaterina was standing next to her.

"Are you alright?" she repeated.

Natalia ignored her sister in favor of nearly glaring at her brother.

"You can only look at me with those eyes Ivan." Natalia hissed. "Only me. I will bring you back my love. Even if I have to force you."

* * *

><p>"Please Natalia go away! Please go home!" Ivan pleaded with her through the locked door.<p>

Natalia ignored his pleas, he didn't mean them after all, and continued clawing at the door and yelling at him "Let us be married once more! Let us be married! No one else Ivan! No one else!"

"Go away please!"

Before she even knew what she was doing she had somehow managed to rip the doorknob from the door with her bare hands and threw it into the room. Ivan peeked around from his hiding spot to where she stood in the doorway.

"Nothing will stop us." Natalia said walking towards her brother. "Nothing ever will come between us. Until death do we part."

Ivan was backing up as much as he was able to before he hit the wall. He cringed at the sight of her.

"Please sister, go home." he pleaded.

Natalia kneeled beside him and reached a hand out towards him. "There is no need to be afraid. We will finally become one once more. Together forever."

"I'm sorry." Ivan whispered before his fist came out and hit her directly over her ribs. Natalia allowed a gasp of pain to escape her lips before she curled an arm around it. Glancing up she saw Ivan had made his escape once more.

Natalia fell to her side onto the floor, her arms going around her body, whimpering slightly however it had nothing to do with the pain from some of her ribs being broken.

"Ivan." she sobbed. 'Ivan. I love you. My husband. I love you."

* * *

><p>She screamed as she curled deeper within herself.<p>

"Brother! Let us become one!"

"Marry me brother! Marry me!"

"How could you let that brat touch you like that? Only I can!"

"Brother. I love you."

This time Ivan had become more than tired of all her antics. This time he had really tried to hurt her.

Natalia gave a small sob as the snow she was laying on soon melted and seeped into her clothes. The blood flowing from the wounds on her body was slowly clotting and healing itself.

Natalia let out a sigh and watched the steam leave her body. She slowly started to close her eyes. Perhaps unconsciousness would be more caring than this nightmare she was living in.

The next thing she knew was that she was in a warm bed, tightly bundled and a scarf around her head.

"Belarus! You're awake!" a familiar voice said. When the person, or rather nation, removed the scarf she was not surprised to see Lithuania standing there.

"What am I doing here?" Natalia asked.

"I found you passed out in the snow." Lithuania said. "You didn't respond to anything I did so I brought you to my home. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Natalia said curtly trying to sit up.

Lithuania came to her side and gently pushed her down onto the bed. "I don't think you should be trying to move just yet. Your body was pretty frozen when I found you."

Natalia ignored his suggestion and focused on moving her arms and legs stopping only when she felt the pain shoot up her body.

Lithuania sat down next to her with his hand on her back.

"Ukraine." he said quietly. "Told me everything."

"About what?"

"You." he said hesitantly. "And…Ivan."

Natalia froze in flexing her fingers. "She had no right to tell you, it was not her story to tell."

"I'm kinda glad she did." Lithuania said. "It helps me understand you better. And it just makes me fall in love with you even more."

Natalia turned her head to the side. "It would benefit you if you did not fall in love with me."

"Maybe." Lithuania said shrugging before he smiled. "However I just cannot help myself. You are an amazing woman Belarus."

She refused to allow herself to blush. "I do not care for flattery."

"Tell me." Lithuania said quietly. "Why do you waste your time for a guy that will never see you more than a younger sister?"

Natalia grasped the necklace under her dress tightly. A simple golden ring on a chord hanged there. "Because…of our past."

"The past he can no longer remember."

Natalia whirled towards Lithuania. "I will not allow you to judge me." she nearly snarled bringing her fist forward.

Lithuania caught her fist before he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. His action caused her to unclench her hand.

"Who am I?" Natalia asked quietly.

"You are Natalia." Lithuania said. "You are Belarus. The younger sister of Ukraine and Russia. Of Ekaterina and Ivan. The girl I have been in love with for centuries."

"What do you want?" Natalia whispered.

"I want for you to give me a chance." Lithuania said. "Ivan is never going to remember, you know that. Here I am, willing to be whatever it is that you want me to be. A devoted boyfriend. A protector. Someone on the side who cheers you on. Whatever it is. Just tell me and I'll do it."

Natalia watched his eyes carefully in search for a lie or that it was anything besides the truth.

"On one condition." she finally said.

"What?" Lithuania eagerly asked.

"Call my name." she said quietly.

Lithuania smiled before he said lovingly "Natalia."

She shook her head. "My other name."

The smile didn't disappear as Lithuania took her hand in his and kissed the back of it once more and then the palm.

"Belarus." Lithuania whispered. "I love you Belarus."

Belarus straightened her back before she smiled at Lithuania.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

**Questions? Comments? Leave them in a review.**

**Until next time.**

**This is Phoenix-Fire Power over and out.**


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